Solid-state reactions to form metal silicides (MexSi) can be used to form ohmic contacts, Schottky barrier contacts, gate electrodes, local interconnects, and diffusion barriers in the microelectronics industry. Certain metal silicides, i.e., platinum silicides (PtxSi), can demonstrate certain characteristics useful for contacts for nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches. For example, platinum silicides can demonstrate wear and oxidation resistance during nanoscale mechanical contact.
Certain PtxSi can be formed from thin film Pt deposited on a single crystal Si (sc-Si) wafer using a two part process. First, Pt atoms diffuse into the sc-Si and a Pt-rich silicide, Pt2Si, is formed. After the Pt is consumed, atoms from the sc-Si can diffuse into Pt2Si to form the thermodynamically stable PtSi phase. However, certain NEM switch geometries can demand silicidation away from the sc-Si carrier wafer, leading to an incompatibility of the sc-Si/Pt silicidation process with such NEM switch geometries.